Third Chance
by Delorita
Summary: There is always a solution for "dead" robots, isn't there? John/Marcus. You can read it either way, the beginning of a friendship or preslash. It's set some months after Terminator Salvation ends.


A/N This is set a few months after the end of the movie. Again, I'm trying to make some things right that seemed wrong to me in the very end. Thanks for the beta work go to Destinyawakened.

"Can't we bring him back to l…" John stumbled over the word. "I mean, make him functional again?" They stood in a dimly lit chamber of their headquarters; Him, Kate, Kyle and some of the best technicians they had.

Marcus' body was shut off, covered with a plastic sack to keep from gathering too much dust. They hadn't decided what to make with it as long as John was on edge of life or death.

John Connor had miraculously taken the robot's heart implant without any complications, even in their very unfortunate environment. After a few weeks of recovering -- along with having some family time with his wife and new born baby -- he desperately wanted to get back to leading the remaining people of the world. The machines were getting stronger with him not organizing the resistance.

Now he wanted to use any resource to fight them, and Marcus Wright was one resource they couldn't ignore. John refused to believe that there wouldn't be a way to make him function again.

He was a _machine _after all!

A robot.

Robots didn't need hearts.

John sighed and scratched the back of his head. He'd brought him back to "life" once before. In the danger of the fight in the Skynet complex, he'd simply thought of him as a car. To restart a car you just need two cables with enough power. It had worked. John just wasn't sure if the heart had something to do with it or not.

He hadn't told Kate about that until now; too many other things had happened and he hadn't thought of it himself either until this moment.

"Maybe he needs a motor, like a car." Kyle spoke John's thoughts out loud. Ever since Marcus gave his human heart to the famous John Connor, Kyle had been thinking of ways how to resurrect his friend.

"And he may need a battery," Blair added, thinking along the same therms. To her, Marcus never had been a machine. She still remembered very vividly his strong beating heart -- his warmth. She almost couldn't forgive John for taking Marcus away from her.

But then, Marcus had offered his life freely.

"He still has his human brain," Kate stated from her position beside Marcus' head. "We need to open up the skull and see if it's still in perfect condition," she whispered. Marcus, even in his deactivated state, still gave her the creeps. A robot that looked and nearly acted like a human, what a scary thought. But she was as determined as her husband was to bring Marcus back to "life". He had saved John's after all, and they really were in need of a strong, not human ally.

"You do that." John bent and kissed her lightly. "We'll see if we can find some equipment to function as a heart." He slapped Kyle on the shoulder and pulled him outside.

John hadn't told his father the big secret yet. He was debating within himself if he should now or not. John decided now wasn't the best time. Kyle had to grow up some more. It was really an odd feeling for John to have his baby boy born and to meet his father at the same time. Kyle, not even twenty yet, could almost be John's own son.

John frowned and shook his head, deep in thought.

"He's… He was brilliant, you know," Kyle stated matter of fact, remembering Marcus repairing the car back in L.A. and then their stunts with the huge Terminator and the bike Terminators as well.

"He was generous," John muttered. He didn't know how to express his gratitude to a man he had barely known. And yet, Marcus gave his heart to save John, despite how little they knew of each other.

Maybe Marcus was expecting them to come up with a plan to repair him.

They had assembled a lot of high-technical tools during the years of war with the machines. First priority were their helicopters and planes. Second was their research equipment, laptops, high range radios, etc. A lot had gotten lost in explosions, but they had been able to save whatever they could find and looked at least a little bit useful.

Their search had taken a long time; nothing seemed to be fitting and John grew more and more frustrated by the minute. He wasn't really sure why, he seldom got this way. He was a very rational thinking person most of the time.

Why did he want the very special Terminator back?

To work with him.

To use his strength, his invulnerability.

To use his knowledge about Skynet.

But then, there was another reason.

One that John Connor didn't want to admit to himself.

He felt intrigued by the man.

Marcus Wright had shocked John -- almost frightened him -- and left him feeling completely surprised.

Several times at that.

John Connor didn't like the idea of feeling frightened _and_ surprised.

He thought he knew the enemy. But this guy wasn't his enemy.

The guy saved his life; Several times at that, too!

John scratched his beard. Deep inside he felt the urge to get to know this man – this robot. To find out why he became this way and why he thought he was born in 1975. Why he changed sides.

While John was in the tiny chamber of a very special compartment, his radio crackled and he heard Kate's voice. "I think I found something. You really should come back immediately."

John and his men hastened back to Kate's laboratory.

Star was waiting very impatiently for them at the door. She motioned them to hurry and they

fell into a run.

"Look, I can't believe this." After the men and women all stood around her and Marcus' bench, she pointed to a certain part in his carefully opened skull.

"A switch." Kyle whispered, his voice almost too low to understand.

"Yeah," John looked closely, but wasn't as excited as the others. "It could be for anything."

"No, I don't think so." Kate and her assistants had managed to build an x-ray machine and she was working it over Marcus' body. "There are special cables here." She pointed towards her screen. "See?" It was clearly visible, cables leading from the switch in Marcus' head to an odd looking little tool in the middle of his body; exactly beside the place were his human heart had been.

"I think, that must be the fail safe device," she swallowed. "His… His robot heart…"

"Holy fuck." John couldn't help his sudden outburst.

"Yeah." Kyle was right beside him, peering closely at the screen.

"Should we try and switch him on?" Kate asked, lowly.

"I don't know." John was again very unsure and started to pace. "What if his brain isn't really functioning any more? What if he only carries out the orders from Skynet now?" He was very doubtful.

Marcus was a machine. How was John _ever_ supposed to trust a machine?

"We restrain him again," Blair offered hesitantly. "And I won't free him if he isn't…well, him," she added, hanging her head.

John pondered the pros and cons of reviving Marcus. After a few moments of silence around him, John's curiosity won.

"Okay, restrain him," he said firmly. "But we better do it in the prison cell." He didn't want to get Kate's carefully build laboratory destroyed on accident.

They all helped to move Marcus out and two floors down. Then the robot lay in chains again.

"You want to switch him on?" Kate looked very intently at her husband, knowing how hard the decision was for him.

"What do we do if he isn't himself?" John's frown deepened. "He'll fight and we wont be able to switch him off again."

"There is no damage to his brain," she assured him.

"Wait a second." John disappeared.

The others looked questioningly at one another.

After a moment their leader returned.

"You all get out." He glanced determinedly from one to the next. "If he isn't himself, I'll use this." He'd gotten himself a hand grenade.

"John…" Kate begged, but he silenced her, hugging her briefly.

"I'll be fast. Now _go_!"

They all went out hesitantly, but knowing their leader wouldn't accept any more discussions.

The decision was made.

John circled the robot one more time, his heart pounding in his chest.

Feeling and thinking, that it was actually the robot's heart, it sounded clear in his mind.

He owed it/him – whatever – something. And without a further thought he pressed the little red switch.

Nothing happened.

John swore silently and walked around the man again.

He wished he could have plugged Marcus into his laptop and ran some scans, but he didn't want to ruin that precious little piece of equipment either.

Just when he was about to use the switch again, Marcus' eyes fluttered open.

John held his breath unconsciously, locking gazes with the machine. He was anxious of the robot's next move, hoping he could convince Marcus to be on their side.

Marcus stared into John's eyes for a few moments. Then he took in his surroundings.

He started to breath very deeply.

Started to move his hands, his head.

John stood frozen, waiting.

After an eternity, or so it seemed to the leader of the resistance, the robot started to speak, trying to hold John's gaze.

"So it worked." Marcus' voice was very raspy, being silenced for several months.

John did a double take, not knowing what the man meant; him being switched on, or John, living with the new heart.

"Yeah," He answered very carefully, his guard still up.

Marcus grinned.

"You still afraid of me?" He pulled at the chains harder.

"Well…" John didn't really know what to say, his throat felt completely dry.

"John," despite the roughness, Marcus voice took on a really soft sound. "I gave my heart for you."

John gave a harsh laugh. "Yeah, well, obviously you got another one." He started to pace again, feeling the anger rise up in him. He suddenly felt somehow betrayed, and he wasn't sure why.

"I didn't know about that," Marcus whispered under his breath. "I swear."

John crossed his arms across his chest, absolutely unsure of what to do. What if this guy deceived him?

"If you're scared of me, why did you bring me back to life?" Marcus asked, his voice growing stronger. His eyes followed John towards his feet. "And how did you do it anyway?"

"I won't tell you how," John muttered.

Marcus sighed. He knew he had to regain John's trust.

"How can I show you my loyalty again?" Marcus didn't know why, but somehow only this was important to him -- John's trust.

"I don't have another human heart…" He swallowed, not knowing where this odd sensibility came from. John Connor really had a strange influence on him.

"We'll go on a mission together. I…The resistance needs you."

John had made up his mind and started to unchain Marcus, trying to avoid looking into the other man's blue eyes again. It was unsettling.

But something in Marcus' voice made John shove his doubts to the back of his mind. They had _wanted _to bring the robot back to life. Why think twice about it _now?_

He sounded the same as weeks ago, when they had lied beside each other, Marcus ready to die for him. John swallowed a lump in his throat. What a mess. His thoughts kept swirling around and around, the grenade shoved securely back into his pocket.

There was only one chain left, the one around Marcus' neck.

John steeled himself inwardly for what ever was to come, and finally took it off.

Marcus groaned and hesitantly sat up, feeling the hole in the back of his head, nodding. He'd found the switch.

He didn't move to get up, instead he held out his hand towards John. "Thank you," he said lowly.

John Connor looked at Marcus again, eyes trying to see into the robot's _human_ soul. John then took Marcus' surprisingly warm hand, shaking it. "No, I thank you." And he pulled him from the table so they stood, facing each other.

The fact, that Marcus' hand was warm like a human's and his gaze seemed really honest as well, calmed John. After all, everybody had voted for this -- had voted to bring the unique human robot back to life.

John felt Marcus strength, but suddenly wasn't intimidated by it any more. He wasn't sure why, it must lie in the eyes.

He cleared his throat, breaking the awkward moment. "Let's get to work."

Marcus nodded and together they left the prison cell.

F I N


End file.
